Nerlens Noel Injury: Updates on Kentucky Star's Knee

The Kentucky Wildcats' basketball season has not gone the way anybody expected it to, and now things may have gotten a whole lot worse. According to CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman, center Nerlens Noel went down with a leg injury in the Wildcats' 69-52 loss to the Florida Gators on Tuesday, and the prognosis does not seem good:

While that seems dire, Florida center Patric Young may have had the best seat in the house for the injury. Young said after the game that it looked as if Noel's knee had dislocated and seemed obviously bothered by the scene, per The Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser:

Jason Lieser @JasonLieser

UF's Patric Young on Nerlens Noel: "His leg was wobbly, knee looked dislocated. It was gruesome. I don't want to think about it."

Noel's injury happened midway through the second half. Going for a block, Noel’s momentum carried him into the basket standard, where his knee hit hard and bent in an awkward fashion.

Here's a close look at the unfortunate position Noel's knee landed in (via the Lexington Herald):

The freshman star laid on the court for multiple minutes in pain, with concerned teammates and medical professionals surrounding him. After rising to his feet, Noel was then carried off the court by his teammates, but was unable to put weight on his knee as he left the floor.

Noel finished Tuesday night’s contest with eight points, six rebounds and three blocks. When Noel left the game, the Wildcats were down, 57-45, against the home Florida squad.

Though they ultimately went on to lose, the team's major concern has to be the long-term health of Noel.

Arguably the most highly touted freshman in the country, Noel has been the lifeblood of the Wildcats’ defense the entire season. He was averaging 10.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 4.5 blocks per contest heading into Tuesday night’s contest.

While he hasn’t been dominant on the level of predecessor Anthony Davis, Noel had led the Wildcats to an 8-2 start in the SEC after a rocky non-conference slate.

Noel's improvement has been vital to this team's rise in play. He put up an astounding 12 blocks in a victory against Ole Miss on Jan. 29 and had three straight double-doubles prior to Tuesday night.

With Noel's status up in the air, Kentucky will be waiting with bated breath until hearing a final prognosis. Be sure to check back in as we give you the latest updates on Noel's health and potential return date.